Should i line my raised Colorbond raised garden beds?

johnhendo

G'day, I have made some raised garden beds out of some left-over Colourbond Sheets and some sleepers/posts on an unused sloped section of our backyard.

I wasn't intending on lining them, just wondering general thoughts on this if i should line with plastic or not? If i don't will the sheets rust through quickly I'm guessing?

Thanks in advance,
John

JacobZ

Hi @johnhendo,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is brilliant to have you with us.

Having a barrier between the soil and the Colourbond sheets is definitely a good idea as the soil will hold moisture that will be in direct contact with the Colourbond sheets.

If you were to use black plastic such as this GRUNT 2 x 5m Black 70um Multi Use Plastic Film, I would suggest only attaching it to the back side of the Colourbond sheets and not draping it over the ground, as this will prevent drainage. You could also line the back side of the Colourbond with corflute and both options could be stuck in place with Liquid Nails. Have a look at How To Build a Raised Garden Bed With Sleepers for an example of this.

Another thing to consider is placing some weed mat such as this Pillar 0.9 x 10m Black Platinum Weed Control Mat at the base of the garden beds as it will prevent weeds from growing up through the garden bed but will still allow for drainage.

You might also like to check out How to choose plants for your garden and Top Low Maintenance Plants For Your Garden for some ideas and inspiration.

Let me know what you think and if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob